Straight On 'Til Morning
by Azelma1
Summary: He likes to run. But sometimes the best things happen when he stops. NineRose, Jack. One shot. Complete.


Inspired by the Kate Bush song "In Search of Peter Pan," and my undying love for Nine and series one/twenty-seven, this is more like a series of scenes strung together than a story. It's a "missing scenes" collection, if you like. I hope you will. Written in second person, Nine's pov.

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**Straight On 'Til Morning**

**i: run**

You haven't been alone that long, but it feels like it. Feels like long enough that having someone with you again is weird, almost wrong. You only think about that when you stop running though, because the first time you take her hand it's like it's already second nature. To have her hand in yours, her at your side or just behind you, following like she believes in you already.

You've had this before, so many times. So many names and so many places you'd be forgiven for forgetting some of them, but you never have and never will. You won't forget her, this girl called Rose Tyler from London. An ordinary girl who works in a shop and eats chips, who manages to pull the rug from under you when she saves your life. She rescues you like a scene from a fairy tale, except you aren't a handsome prince and there's no kiss, just a man who is always running no matter how tired he is. You have nothing you can give her but a battered blue box.

She insists that it's enough, but you've been here too many times before.

**ii: stumble**

The Dalek frightened you. Caught you off guard, made you doubt everything you thought you knew. For hours, days, weeks afterward you turn it all over in your mind. Question after question. Are there more? How could there be? Where would they come from? But if there was one…you thought they were all gone, shot out of the sky, metal parts raining down, raining down through space and time until there's nothing left of them, not even ash. You stop thinking there might be other Time Lords quickly, because you know you couldn't take being proved wrong.

In her own way, Rose tries to help. She stops asking questions when she realises how much it costs you to answer them, and she's just as disgusted as you are when Adam betrays your trust. You call her the best, and there's conviction in your words, because as you drift between here and there, she's holding your hand and smiling like the sun and it hits you with the force of a blast from an atomic bomb.

You _need_ this simple little human creature. You needed them before, but not like this. This is something new for you, and you might crave the unknown but you know what this is.

It's standing still long enough to let them look at you like that; absolute trust, loyalty, and love…

The beginning of the end, the end of the beginning.

**iii: fall**

She said she was sorry, and you took her hand and walked into the sunset. That should've been it, but you're seeing her in a different light now, as if you're seeing her for the first time. She's no longer on the pedestal you sat her on, not quite so cherubic. She's human, layered and flawed. You'd forgotten it was possible for a little while, because after the filth of war, innocence and purity was almost more alien than you are.

You try to pick her up and put her back where you want her to belong. You need someone to believe in and you've had enough of being crushed as easily as a butterfly's wings. The pair of you go all over; planet after planet, solar systems far away and galaxies not even you can pronounce. You take her to an oasis on one of the desert planets and even though you pretend not to, you watch her as she cleanses herself in the universe's cleanest water. She lies down next to you, shimmies up close and is innocence and purity again in her emerald green bikini as the light from four suns catches in her hair.

Like the phoenix, risen.

And not just her.

**iv: drown**

You dance in the console room, never a least likely place in the universe for dancing, and it's like being swallowed by the sea as you fall into her rhythm. But the water is clear and bright, the light in her eyes shining and the dazzle from Jack's hundred watt grin enough to lead you both.

When the music stops you have to catch your breath. Jack has appeared by your side, like he's always been there, and he whispers; _"this is the part where you're supposed to kiss her"_. You wait for Rose to laugh and brush it off, 'cause it's ridiculous and Jack's just being silly, high on life like you are. But she doesn't laugh and Jack steps back, and when _she_ kisses _you_, it's not just oceans; it's sun, moon, stars, and the view through the fog has never been so clear.

**v: fly**

Jack had caused you concern, at first, but you needn't have worried. Finding Jack is like finding the missing piece of the puzzle, and he slots in with ease. You like him, despite yourself. Despite the outrageous stories and downright lies, because of them. His flights of fancy lift you higher than you've been before, Rose too, and you don't reckon only bad things come in threes.

You wonder about Jack and Rose but he spends most of his time gently pushing you toward her, and even once you realise what he's doing you don't stop him. You let him take the lot of you to some place too near to the furthest end of the universe where the gravity is all kinds of messed up, but it doesn't matter because you're practically flying and you don't want to ever stop.

When you look at Rose and Jack, you don't want to believe it will.

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END


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